Rod Petrie calls for an end to ‘guerilla tactics’

Hibs chairman Rod Petrie has urged a group of dissenting supporters to drop their “aggressive guerilla tactics” against he and owner Sir Tom Farmer.

He also dismissed claims in the wake of Wednesday’s Annual General Meeting that the club had been reluctant to discuss the merits of the share plan, which is due to launch on Monday with the aim of allowing supporters to seize a 51 per cent shareholding in the club.

Pressure group Hands on Hibs have been particularly vocal in their criticism of Petrie and Farmer and have called for Monday’s share launch to be postponed to allow for further dialogue with supporters.

In a statement, Petrie said: “It has to be hoped that the call for talks from Hands on Hibs, a group which directors have met on more than one occasion, will be matched by a cessation of their aggressive guerrilla tactics which has included making false and defamatory accusations against key figures involved with the club and deriding other groups of supporters. Now is a time for unity amongst everyone.

“It is disingenuous to suggest that discussion of this issue has been restricted to a few minutes at the AGM. We have at all times welcomed those who have wanted to speak with us and engage with us. Some have chosen to do so, and others have not. But to suggest there has been no opportunity to engage in constructive conversation, to learn more about the plans, and to be reassured on any aspect of them, is simply not true.”